Uzbekistan, Slovakia Discuss Trade Expansion And Joint Investment Opportunities

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, June 9. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held official talks with Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Robert Fico at the Kuksaroy residence to deepen strategic cooperation across trade, industry, and energy domains, marking a new chapter in Uzbek-Slovak relations, Trend reports, citing the Uzbek president's office.

A key focus of the talks was boosting bilateral trade by expanding the range of exchanged goods. Uzbekistan aims to increase exports of textiles, agricultural products, electrical equipment, chemicals, and polymers, while Slovakia may supply rubber, auto components, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial products.

The leaders stressed the importance of eliminating technical trade barriers and launching a quantum standard laboratory, in line with newly signed agreements on technical regulation and metrology.

An agreement was reached to develop a comprehensive Industrial Cooperation Program with Slovakia's leading companies. The program will support joint projects in agriculture, auto component localization, pharmaceutical manufacturing, green energy, and tourism.

The two sides also explored opportunities in digital innovation and startup investment. Uzbekistan proposed the creation of a joint venture capital fund to support IT startups and accelerate digital transformation.

To facilitate these initiatives, both parties agreed to expand the use of existing financial instruments.

Organized labor migration was another key topic, with Slovakia expressing strong interest in establishing a structured cooperation framework in this area.

The parties also exchanged views on international and regional issues, reaffirming their mutual support within multilateral platforms.

To facilitate the optimal execution of the accords established, both administrations will formulate an all-encompassing strategic framework delineating specific action items and collaborative paradigms.

In the context of a strategic convening in March 2025, Uzbekistan and Slovakia reached a consensus to inaugurate a Business Council aimed at optimizing trade synergies and fortifying economic linkages between the two sovereign entities.